The Importance of Bridges in Music

[@Triekki]

I remember in middle school asking my friend what a bridge of a song is and he told me “the English garden part of I am the Walrus” and I instantly got how important they were.

[@AugustRx]

Oh my God😭 his attempts at singing are soooo adorable. Gimme more more. plss.

[@MrsNancy1297]

@@Noirloregrown men can be adorable too, what’s wrong with that? The chaddest chad you can think of can do something that is cute and not lose an ounce of masculinity

[@Ineddiblehulk]

How fragile is your masculinity to be offended on someone else’s behalf about being called adorable. Yikes.

[@liamlargo7481]

i cannot emphasize enough how much you singing it all makes the video better. we need more of that

[@Noirlore]

About You by 1975 is a great one

[@maxresdefault_]

I love the bridge in Taylor Swift's 'I Knew You Were Trouble.' The line "you never loved me or her or anyone or anything" is just too iconic, despite the cheesiness

[@AugustRx]

Everyone's talking about Cruel Summer but this always gets forgotten

[@angel_of_rust]

swifties will call anything "iconic"

[@arko9151]

​@@angel_of_rustI don't even like her like that but she's like one my most streamed artists for the past 4 weeks? The Swifty agenda!!

[@maxresdefault_]

​@@angel_of_rustI have absolutely zero strong feelings about Taylor Swift. Every single person reading this comment knows who she is and would recognize the line. If that doesn't constitute 'icon' status, what does?

[@LuisFelipe-km5fi]

​@@maxresdefault_ I think it is easier for young people to call Swift a "icon". For older people like me, it's just weird, but I think it's a generation thing.

[@RoryMajule]

Gotta be Black by PearlJam for me. The whole song is about accepting the fact that someone important to you has moved on and reassuring yourself that everything will be fine, but then you get to the bridge where Eddie extends the line from the chorus “I know you’ll be a star in someone else’s sky” by removing the facade and screaming “but why can’t it be mine?”. Gets me every time.

[@Snoozzzing-]

The main thing I learned from this video is that MIRRORS BY JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE IS 8 MINUTES LONG!??!!??!?!? Since when 😭

[@chiarosuburekeni9325]

You’re used to the radio edit like 99% of us are that’s all 😂

[@briankrosky3567]

The album version with that ending is soooooo fucking good. That song is a masterpiece

[@stellarrig]

a lot of jt’s non-radio-edits are super long

[@sofmarsofmar]

@@briankrosky3567that ending is HEAVENLY. could have just that on repeat for days on end

[@mariokarter13]

The second half is more like a reprise than an actual part of the song.

[@Noirlore]

As a Phillies fan, Robyn’s version SMOKES that callum Scott version

[@tylerhackner9731]

We need bridges back in popular music

[@josepontaroli6989]

lewis capaldi?

[@maxresdefault_]

I think it was Todd in the Shadows who pointed out that TikTok dictates that a song only needs two ideas (verse and chorus) to blow up. They're not entirely gone (Billy Ray Cyrus is the best part of Old Town Road after all) but they're a dying breed arguably.

[@tommoreton44]

Taylor Swift has many iconic bridges, so I would argue they still exist in popular music, but I certainly agree that newer popular artists aren't doing them as often

[@angel_of_rust]

no wonder new songs are short and even more formulaic

[@felixgoncalves405]

Tyler the Creator has some epic bridges

[@santiagobauza4257]

JT's songs seem like they have like three different choruses. And the bridges are usually immaculate, see What Goes Around or Rock Your Body as other examples as well. His best songs are so well structured it's insane.

[@evanwright9016]

Pharrell and Timbaland, everybody.

[@agrace4688]

Great video, I'm just shocked that you didn't mention Taylor Swift. She's got iconic bridges.

[@d.i.y.a.b]

Alfo Media cover album when?

[@yaboyegreja7750]

Alfo singing bridges is the best part of this video

[@incomiiiiiiing6646]

thank you for singing to us

[@ravigreenemusic]

I think the best one from the billboard list is The Hills by The Weeknd. Absolute textbook definition of a great bridge

[@sofmarsofmar]

I was really hoping to see a JT song come up in your video because he has incredible bridges in most of his songs. Love that you saved him for last and highlighted it. Great video!

[@chiarosuburekeni9325]

Mariah Carey was the queen of bridges in pop music throughout the 90s. Looking back on it her music was pretty formulaic but the bridges in like all her hit singles up until say 97 or 98 were pretty memorable if you like that kinda music. Vision of Love, Love Takes Time, Can’t Let Go, Someday etc all have some pretty great bridges.

[@philomenacunks]

Vision of Love has to be one of the greatest songs of the 90s. And Mariah is one of the all-time greats.

[@amorabeau]

Always Be My Baby is such an underrated Mariah bridge imo

[@chiarosuburekeni9325]

@@amorabeau agreed!

[@drewm.2790]

that bridge in Can’t let go still give me chills up to this day especially the choir background vocals whew 🤤

[@daisywrabbit]

interestingly, bridges often are in a minor key, creating a sense of longing or loneliness. it makes it that much more rewarding to return to the main key of the song after the bridge. The bridge also often reaches a high point regarding the singer’s tone or guitar or some instrument that will reach possibly the highest note in the song. yes, bridges are very important, lyrically and tonally.

[@Noirlore]

Rina sawayama has a few great bridges too

[@rickresenha]

Bridge is my favorite section of a song. I can like a whole song just for loving the bridge

[@mosespf]

a positive video on Matty Healy? you’re walking on thin ice Alfo, & i love it

[@mikawaii_og]

i'm almost certain he did it on purpose

[@AmnesiakMusic]

Favorite type of bridge: A) Pop mask off thing B) Solo C) Breakdown D) Build up E) Other I like regular personally.

[@maddiehansen5661]

I think The Beatles have some of the best bridges in music history!! Like “You’re asking me will my love grow? I don’t knowwwwww, I don’t know!” In Something? Or “I’m in love for the first time. Don’t you know it’s gonna last! It’s a love that lasts forever, it’s a love that has no past!” in Don’t Let Me Down? LIKE COME ON!! Absolutely transformative and totally take the songs to the next level. They’re always who I think of when I think of awesome bridges in songs

[@GothCops]

This is great content!

[@yaboichillwill2052]

One bridge I’d consider probably one of the greatest if not THE greatest is Big Data’s late 2013/ 2014 hit “Dangerous”. The way it starts with that brilliant synth solo and then gets to that “nobody’s listening when we’re alone” and then gets to the pre-chorus, starting with “and I’ve got to get out of here” still gets me a decade later.

[@tomisina7144]

The Neptune’s bridges were top tier 🖖

[@עומרדוד-פ5ב]

man do i love the bridge in driver's liscence by Olivia Rodrigo

[@messiah4776]

Crazy how you picked the 2 first songs I thought of

[@BeatsBySelim26]

The legend uploads 🔥🔥

[@retepnavroc2403]

Death of an interior decorator by Death Cab For Cutie, if you've not heard that bridge do yourself a favour and hear it. Also Little Mascara by the Replacements. Genuinely two of the most spellbinding and hypnotic songs with the most insane bridges ever

[@daisywrabbit]

there’s also something called a middle eight. (Maybe a little sister to the bridge.) The middle eight occurs in the middle of a song, not near the end like a bridge. The middle eight doesn’t really give us information we haven’t heard before like a bridge might. it just serves to move the song along and add some interest. IDK maybe middle eights were more common in older songs.

[@sneakysnakesullytv8444]

One of my favorite bridges is on “Here Comes your Man” by The Pixies. The build up is incredible and hits every time

[@Andres33AU]

I've always liked bridges in songs, but I never thought of them as being the "true part of the song" lyrically, so I'm definitely going to keep that in mind next time I listen to my favourite tunes! I've also realised that some new songs don't even have a bridge, they're verse/chorus, some don't even have a pre-chorus, and quite short songs too.

[@123.45-d]

So we're not gonna talk about Britney's Baby one more time and Oops despite those aren't in the list?

[@vincentdolan1992]

You have a really warm voice! I missed one of Taylor bridges but it’s ok 😔

[@amos_s]

The bridge on Frontin' is also good

[@cmooreHD]

Random, but most of Pharrell’s/The Neptunes music for artist in the Pop, R&B, Rock, and Hip-Hop genres in the 2000s-2015 all had bridges and even the songs ended with Bridges. Making the song have 2 Bridges. Listen to JT’s Justfied album. Even last year Omar Apollo has a song called Tamagotchi and it has that amazing bridge that is reminiscent of Justin Timberlake/Robin Thicke. I think I even commented about it last year. Such a great song and amazing bridge.

[@Dimitar_Tsanev]

I learned about the power a good bridge can have from listening to nu metal... In fact I think the songs I like the most in fhis genre I like as much because of the bridge... Rock and metal in general have always had great bridge sections but while in the early days they were mostly represented by guitar solos and nowadays they are mostly percussive breakdowns, the nu metal era of the late 90's-early 00's was in my opinion the best in terms of bridges in the classic pop music sense...

[@mariokarter13]

First Verse: Introduction. Chorus: The main topic. Second Verse: Development. Bridge: Conclusion.

[@josemartinez629]

Wouldn’t it be nice has to be up there 🙌🏼😊

[@YafetTesfayeYeshi]

Daughtry's Life After You has an amazing bridge. As good as the chorus.

[@cunha545]

Loved the singing!

[@schnaarff1005]

Man how can you make a video on the best bridges in music and not mention Crazy in Love?

[@tigersteffi]

Brother you don’t gotta sing on your video just explaining is enough thank you king

[@alexs-mind]

1:50 THE BRIDGE IS NOT IN BETWEEN VERSE 3 AND CHORUS ITS BEFORE VERSE 3 lololol But anyways, I do appreciate this video and bridges should be more common in music, not overdone, anything Can be, but used more when it sounds like the idea calls for it. Also, tbh, I like your touches of you singing the songs in this video. Idk why but I find it both funny (cuz I don’t expect it), and charming. Lol feels realistic.

[@chiarosuburekeni9325]

It’s usually between verse 2 and chorus 2, no?

[@DeKevers]

I think someone who does really good bridges is Taylor Swift, I just watched her movie and each bridge felt bigger than the choruses

[@elihyland4781]

Don’t Fear the Reaper by BOC. Also there is a slow version that’s 32 minutes. It’s worth it. 800x slow version is best

[@kuroBozi]

Any Neptunes bridges

[@WaitingForTheHook]

You singing is the funniest part lmao

[@pindebraende]

Hold up, one minute into the video but are you talking about a C part? Sounds like you're talking about what a C part does, like in a ABABABCB structure for example.. isn't bridges more likely to act like a prechorus?

[@110.12dc]

Stella Bridger better sadly

[@Ngasii]

All I know is there is no Bridge that Michelle Williams cannot cross!😤🔥

[@treman0798]

Do guitar solos count as bridges?

[@PaulMcCartneyLovesSoup]

I was wondering this, I think they do but it’s best to talk about them separately just because of how many good ones there are. And it’s hard to compare them. I’m a real slut for an instrumental bridge.

[@memetrashcan9613]

The Eyes Without a Face bridge is trash and unnecessary in my opinion

[@griffy221]

I never like the bridge on here comes the sun. I like the song but when that part comes on im ready go turn it off

[@FabioGnecco]

Can we add Roger Waters to your bridge top 10 ? He's going to be number 11 tho

[@YOUNGKAKASHI]

where’s Tyler 😐

[@FOMOmix]

Your bridge is actually the MIDDLE8. But both are also often my fav parts!

[@onurkaradal6503]

what a great ignorance of choice of sense to ignore taylor completely while talkin bout bridges

[@Sourdough_breads]

First

[@gregkelland]

The singing and the Robyn pick are a no for me dog